News of Interest

Selected news stories of interest to the Freedom Reads community.

Commercial Trucking and the Road from Prison to Poverty Wages
The Appeal by Abraham Corona, Gabrielle Corona June 12, 2024

Abraham Corona writes about his experience joining the trucking industry after his release from prison, shedding light on how truck-driving is often falsely advertised as a stable career path for formerly incarcerated individuals.

This Prison Newspaper Has Been Publishing for More Than a Century
NPR by Meg Anderson June 12, 2024

Men incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater have been publishing their own newspaper, The Prison Mirror, since 1887, making it one of the oldest prison newspapers in the country.

Prison Inmates Seeking Degrees Admitted into Inaugural Education Cohort at Utah Facility
ABC4 by Trevor Myers June 11, 2024

The University of Utah accepted its first cohort of currently incarcerated individuals into their undergraduate degree program. These 15 students will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in university studies, in addition to a certificate in professional and technical writing.

The Tech of Prison Parenting
Plough by Robert Lee Williams June 5, 2024

Robert Lee Williams writes about how the introduction of tablets and secured messaging services into prison transformed his life on the Inside and allowed him to forge a relationship with his daughter Harmony.

Pawns to Progress: San Quentin Chess Event Unites Prisoners, Guards to Transform Lives
Bay City News by Kevin D. Sawyer May 31, 2024

During the “Pawns to Progress” event sponsored by San Quentin SkunkWorks and Mechanics’ Institute, men incarcerated at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center faced off in games of chess against correctional officers and other members of staff.

12 PJP Journalists and Artists Win Big at Inaugural Prison Journalism Contest
Prison Journalism Project by PJP Editors May 30, 2024

Results from this year's Stillwater Awards, a national prison journalism contest from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Replacing Prison Uniforms with Custom Suits
The New York Times by Sandra E. Garcia May 30, 2024

Brooklyn-based suit maker Bindle & Keep partnered with the Innocence Project to provide free custom-tailored suits to recently exonerated individuals.

University's Prison Education Program and Yale Prison Education Initiative Celebrate Class of 2024
The Charger Blog, University of New Haven by Renee Chmiel May 28, 2024

The University of New Haven’s Prison Education Program celebrated its second-ever commencement ceremony, awarding 11 associate's degrees and two bachelor’s degrees to its Class of 2024.

Incarcerated New Yorkers Staged a Broadway Show in Prison
Gothamist by Bahar Ostadan May 24, 2024

Men incarcerated at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York state put on a performance of the play “Thoughts of a Colored Man” for their family members and correction officers.

A Rare Bright Spot for a Canine Lover Doing Time: Raising Puppies to Become Service Dogs
The Marshall Project by Adam Roberts May 10, 2024

Adam Roberts writes about the bonds he has formed with the puppies he's cared for and trained at Fishkill Correctional Facility in New York as part of their Puppies Behind Bars program.

‘I feel super gassed’: Lady Unchained, the prison radio host playing inmates’ raps
The Guardian by Ciaran Thapar May 7, 2024

A spotlight on Free Flow, a popular radio show broadcast on UK National Prison Radio which plays beats and music for incarcerated musicians to practice with. The show's host, Lady Unchained, speaks to offering "advice and tips on how to build a crime-free future using the power of creativity, lyrics, and positivity," and re-energizing prisons through music.

Prison education programs ready to expand, but new Pell Grants slow to arrive
The Hill by Lexi Lonas May 6, 2024

Pell grants for incarcerated students were reapproved by Congress last summer, but the funding has been slow to roll out with only one institution approved so far as an eligible prison education program (PEP).